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Industry Ag News 4/28/23

Cindy Zimmerman

  • After 26 years at Farm Progress, Willie Vogt is retiring. Vogt has served as Executive Director, Content and User Engagement, for Farm Progress and has been covering agricultural technology advancements for more than 40 years. Announcing his retirement on Facebook, Vogt said, “Bobbi and I are looking forward to what’s next. I won’t disappear, and hope to do some other work in agriculture. But for now it’s time for a change, and perhaps the opportunity to slow down a bit.”
  • Congressman Tracey Mann and Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, are joining leaders from Kansas State University and Farm Journal Foundation for a panel discussion about the role of innovation in supporting global food systems. The event takes place at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2 at Kansas State University in Manhattan. Click here to register.
  • The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (NCERC at SIUE) recently welcomed Lucas Clayton as its newest visiting research fellow. Funded by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the nine-month fellowship program is intended to provide training and hands-on experience to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists for work in mid- to high-skill jobs in the bioeconomy.
  • Apply to become a part of the third class of the NCGA Women and Mentors Program to be held in St. Louis on June 22-23. In addition to learning how to quiet their inner critic, exploring what they can learn from another woman’s leadership journey, and developing an action plan for their own mentorship journey, each participant gains a supportive group of peers committed to their success. Everyone will leave the retreat with a concrete action plan and a mentorship pairing to help each other reach their goals.
  • Stewart-Peterson Inc. is proud to announce the official launch of Grain Market Insider, a newly created grain marketing newsletter. This new service will provide grain farmers with a trusted, rules-based approach to market commentary and actionable advice. Grain Market Insider was created to provide farmers of all sizes with roughly five actionable cash grain recommendations per crop year, to allow even the best producers to improve their marketing decisions.
  • This summer and fall, UF/IFAS Extension will host the Ag Entrepreneurship Series, a program designed to help aspiring and beginning farmers sow the seeds of success. The program is open to anyone in Florida. The award-winning Ag Entrepreneurship series first launched in 2018 and has since expanded to include three workshops.
  • The Farm Credit Administration recently made three key staff selections: Zachary Lund as executive assistant to FCA Board Chairman and CEO Vincent Logan; Mike Stokke as executive assistant to FCA Board Member Glen Smith; Trevor Reuschel as director of the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs.
  • Syngenta Group announced financial results for the first quarter of 2023 were $9.2 billion, up $0.3 billion or 3 percent, compared to a strong first quarter 2022. Syngenta Crop Protection sales grew 2 percent to $4.3 billion in the first quarter 2023. Syngenta Seeds sales grew 12 percent to $1.5 billion in the first quarter 2023, as price increases covered higher costs.
  • Ag Management Solutions (AMS) was nominated for 12 National Agri-Marketing Awards (NAMA) this year and walked away from the annual conference with five, the most the Minnesota-based company has earned since its inception in 2017. AMS is an association management company that helps small and medium-sized companies with limited staff have a meaningful impact. Headquartered in Mankato, Minn., AMS is owned by the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council.
Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Zimfo Bytes

Student NAMA Competition a #NAMA23 Highlight

Chuck Zimmerman

Gator NAMACongrats to Gator NAMA (Go Gators) and a valiant effort for the team that competed in the Student Marketing Competition at the 2023 Agri-Marketing Conference. They didn’t make the semi-finals but the key is the effort and networking with professional members attending the conference. There are 25 student chapters competing this year and semi-finals took place late yesterday. Then today the finals will take place and winners will be announced at the end of the day.

Besides all the student activities we’ve got keynote speakers today and NAMA award presentations as well as breakout sessions. The Connection Point (trade show) is open with lots of companies exhibiting and we have a silent auction to raise funds for the NAMA Foundation.

You can find plenty of photos from this year’s conference here: 2023 Agri-Marketing Conference Photo Album

NAMA

Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 28

Chuck Zimmerman

The Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services (KAS) breaks down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less.

The Dangers of Drought

In this episode, we’re talking about drought dangers growers face as it pertains to soil health and nutrients in the field. We’ll speak with KAS technical agronomist, Matt Fryer and Kansas grower, Tim Turek. They’ll discuss the impact drought has on soil fertility and the tools growers have available to help their crops overcome these limiting factors and increase to maximum yield potential.

You can listen to the program here: The Dangers of Drought 34:04)

And to make sure you don’t miss an episode, choose an option to subscribe

For Spotify on your computer download the desktop app

Agribusiness, Audio, Fertilizer, Koch Agronomic Services, Podcasts, Soil

Precision Ag News 4/26/23

Cindy Zimmerman

  • GROWERS and Koch Agronomic Services (KAS) have joined forces to leverage the GROWERS’ platform to introduce farmers to KAS’s product portfolio. KAS will utilize the unique functionality of The GROWERS App to promote companion and alternative products to farmers as they research inputs to purchase and conduct comparisons of different brands. Farmers can learn more about those products and add them to a product request to be sent directly to their retail partners through The GROWERS App.
  • The CropLife Ag Tech Awards Of Excellence program is seeking nominations for the Precision Farmer of the Year Award. This award is to recognize an individual who has embraced precision technology and techniques in his or her farming operation with demonstrated impacts on their production systems through improved yield, input use efficiency, and/or profitability as well as improvements in land stewardship through resource conservation and environmental enhancement. Nominations must be received by May 1.
  • To help turf and ornamental (T&O) professionals deliver the climate-resilient turf, ornamental plants and trees their customers expect, DPH Biologicals™ announced global distribution of RootXCell™, a unique biostimulant combining living biologicals with a powerful, well-known plant growth hormone.
  • A growing number of property owners of every type are looking for ways to manage their equipment and the work it does. Because of this, John Deere has created John Deere Property Center™, a mobile-friendly web-based tool that allows you to plan and track maintenance for your equipment, buy parts, and learn how to do key jobs around your yard or acreage.
  • Valent BioSciences announces the retirement of President and CEO Ted Melnik, effective July 2023. In addition, Salman Mir, currently Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, has been named President and CEO, also effective July 2023.
  • USDA announced an investment of more than $46 million in the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. These 10-year awards are being made by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to the University of Minnesota, University of Vermont, University of Georgia, Montana State University, and University of Maryland. In addition, USDA announced the appointment of Manjit K. Misra as the new Director of NIFA, effective May 8.
  • The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is inducting two scientists into its Science Hall of Fame this year. George F. Fanta and Timothy P.L. Smith will be honored in a ceremony at the ARS National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, Maryland. ARS established the Hall of Fame program in 1986 to honor senior agency researchers for outstanding, lifelong achievements in agricultural science and technology. Fanta led the development of industrial and consumer-health products derived from agricultural commodities, particularly corn starch and wheat flour. Smith, a research chemist with the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center’s Genetics and Animal Breeding Research unit in Clay Center, Nebraska, was among the first to shape the direction and evolution of ARS’s animal genomics program.
AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture

Syngenta and Biotalys Announce Biologicals Partnership

Cindy Zimmerman

Syngenta Crop Protection and Biotalys have announced a collaboration to research, develop and commercialize new biocontrol solutions to manage key pests in a broad variety of crops. The new solution will be based on Biotalys’ AGROBODY™ technologyand will offer a new mode of action to broaden farmers’ access to novel technologies that counter the threat of pest resistance and advance sustainable agriculture.

“Syngenta is a leader in bringing farmers cutting edge technologies that improve the sustainability of agriculture, and we are excited to work closely with Biotalys as part of our agricultural innovation ecosystem,” said Camilla Corsi, Head of Crop Protection Research at Syngenta Crop Protection. “By combining our proven research and development capabilities with the breakthrough protein-based innovations of the Biotalys AGROBODY™ platform, we are determined to play a pivotal role in addressing critical farmer needs around the globe.”

This new partnership allows Biotalys to accelerate the development and global commercialization of innovative crop protection solutions and cement its biocontrol innovation leadership by leveraging the expansive network and capabilities of a global agriculture business.

“We are proud and excited to be working with Syngenta, a world-leading agricultural company, on one of the most pressing industry challenges – the development of innovative and effective pest control solutions – by delivering on the promise of our AGROBODY™ technology,” said Patrice Sellès, Chief Executive Officer at Biotalys. “Collaborating with Syngenta is a major milestone in our continued mission to providing growers around the globe with safe, efficient, and more sustainable agricultural solutions.”

Biologicals, Crop Protection, Syngenta

Looking Ahead to the 2023 IFAJ Congress

Chuck Zimmerman

IFAJ KnifeThe 2023 IFAJ Congress doesn’t start until the end of June but when I used this handy knife yesterday it made me want to share a picture of a very cool memento from Cindy’s and my first event in Switzerland. Thanks to LID.ch and Switzerland Cheese. I have used this Swiss Army knife since 2005! I like knives and don’t count how many I have. But I have given many of them away to family and friends. But not this one.

Here is a link to the first post I did at that Congress way back then. At that time our sponsor was Pioneer Hi-Bred. The Congress is one of the best I’ve ever attended and Cindy and I have many memories from it including making international friends that we are still in touch with today. The Congress coincided with Cindy’s and my 25th wedding anniversary. We took extra days to stay in Switzerland and do things like take a train into the mountains and just randomly stopping to take cable cars to the top. From there we walked a path in beautiful weather, stopped at a monastery and had a nice talk to one of the nuns living there and listened to cow bells.

So, I’ll be attending this year’s Congress in Canada thanks to Alltech. You can still register. I highly recommend it if you can and you won’t be disappointed. If you have any questions about the Congress I would be happy to answer them. Just let me know and I hope to see you there.

Alltech, IFAJ, International, Media

Women in Ag Tech Unite

Cindy Zimmerman

The newly-formed Women in Ag Tech will hold its first official meeting July 24 at Tech Hub LIVE in Des Moines, Iowa. This new group was formed to provide women in agriculture technology with a platform to connect, engage, and build a community, according to Lara Sowinski, Group Editor for the CropLife Media Group at Meister Media Worldwide, and Co-Chair of the VISION Conference, in this recent article.

Women are currently underrepresented in the ag tech industry, as is the case in many other technology-related fields. However, the number of women in ag tech is growing, and many organizations and initiatives have emerged to support and advance women in this industry.

Despite these efforts, there is still much work to be done to achieve gender parity in the ag tech industry. Women still face many of the same challenges as in other technology fields, including unconscious bias, lack of representation in leadership roles, and pay inequality.

Women in Ag Tech is a crucial initiative for advancing and advocating for women in ag tech. The developments related to Agriculture 4.0 and ongoing expansion of digital agriculture make the initiative particularly timely.

The priorities for Women in Ag Tech include:
Advocate for women and others whose influence is not fully recognized or are underrepresented in the ag tech industry.
Raise awareness and participate in outreach activities.
Actively mentor and encourage future women in ag tech.
Build an active community for women in ag tech.
Align and collaborate with professionals and organizations in allied industries.

The first official meeting will be held at Tech Hub LIVE on July 24th from 2 – 5 p.m. at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown and interested women in the industry are encouraged to complete the online interest form, which will help further shape the initiative. The signature sponsor for Women in Ag Tech is Faegre Drinker.

AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture, Technology

Animal Ag News 4/24/23

Cindy Zimmerman

  • Join the next NCBA Producer Education Webinar “Cutting Through the Carbon Clutter,” April 27 at 7:00 PM Central to learn more about the Wild West of Carbon Markets. Hear multiple perspectives and takeaways for ranchers on the current status of the carbon landscape, and what opportunities are available. Watch the entire Cattlemen’s Webinar Series on YouTube.
  • The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) announced the signing of a set of principles and a new partnership with the National Agricultural Organizations (FARM) from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia and Colombia to constructively engage governments and international organizations around the world on the issues of livestock, agriculture, climate and trade.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance released its updated Sustainability Impact Report ahead of Earth Day on April 22. The U.S. farm and food community continues to be a global leader in sustainability efforts. The updated report highlights these advancements and includes a new section on the animal feed community’s role in environmental stewardship.
  • The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) recognized more than 200 meat and poultry plants at the 2023 Environmental, Labor and Safety+ Conference in Carlsbad, California for their positive environmental impact achievements. Fifteen additional establishments that went above and beyond were granted Environmental Achievement Awards for their progress with emissions reduction, energy conservation, packaging/food waste reduction, technological innovation, and water conservation.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) filed comments on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed rule “Use of Electronic Identification Eartags as Official Identification in Cattle and Bison” to emphasize the importance of electronic animal identification to protect the cattle industry from the threat of a foreign animal disease. USDA’s proposed rule would apply to cattle 18-months or older only when moving interstate.
  • FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative is pleased to welcome Sarah Sarbacker as Director of Communications and Marketing. Raised on a Wisconsin dairy farm, Sarbacker comes to FarmFirst from Boviteq, a bovine IVF company and division of Semex, where she served as the Client Service Supervisor for North America. Prior to her role with Boviteq, she worked in various areas of agriculture throughout her career including positions with US Livestock Genetics Export, Compeer Financial, Minitube, and Agri-View Newspaper.
  • Banana Graham Ice Cream. Smooth Blended Cottage Cheese with Strawberry. Costa Rican Pineapple & Guava Greek Yogurt. These and other sensational, fruit-forward flavors and inclusions shined this week, taking home two-thirds of the awards at the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) annual Innovative Ice Cream Flavor and Innovative Cultured Dairy Product competitions, co-sponsored by Dairy Foods magazine. The ice cream and cultured dairy product competitions took place during IDFA’s annual, co-located Ice Cream Technology Conference and Yogurt & Cultured Innovation Conference, which attracted a record crowd of more than 270 industry professionals to Austin, Texas.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture

    Industry Ag News 4/21/23

    Cindy Zimmerman

    • House Agriculture Committee chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) recently welcomed cattle producer, ag journalist, speaker and author Amanda Radke to his National Agriculture Campaign Advisory Council, a diverse group of ag-centric experts from across the nation.
    • Amy Bradford, GROWMARK Corporate Communications Manager and past president of the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA), has announced her retirement effective May 1.
    • Early entry deadline for the 2023 Livestock Publication Council awards contest has been extended to Monday April 24. Any LPC publication, service, or freelance/contractor member whose dues are paid for the calendar years of 2022 and 2023 is eligible. New members who join LPC in 2023 may compete if 2023 dues are paid.
    • The Bockorny Group, a 30-year established bipartisan government affairs consulting firm, announced today that Eric Bohl has joined as a principal and will lead the company’s agriculture practice. Scott Shearer, who currently heads the firm’s efforts on behalf of its many agriculture clients, will remain on as a Senior Adviser.
    • The Georgia Peanut Commission (GPC) board of directors has approved $706,139 in research project funding for the 2023-24 research budget year. The research projects approved include 35 project proposals submitted from the University of Georgia, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
    • Potatoes USA announces nominations are now open for new Board Members for the 2024-2027 term. The board is seeking nominees to fill a total of 60 open seats for producers from potato producing states around the country. If you are interested in being considered by your state grower leadership to fill an open spot representing your state, please contact your state program manager.
    • Land O’Lakes, Inc. President and CEO Beth Ford is the featured speaker at the Heuermann Lecture on May 8 in Lincoln, Neb. U.S.A. as part of the 2023 Water for Food Global Conference. The free lecture, sponsored by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will be held 4:30-6 p.m. at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center and livestreamed online.
    Ag Groups, Agribusiness, Zimfo Bytes

    Precision Ag News 4/19/23

    Cindy Zimmerman

    • John Deere and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have joined forces to support the new documentary film “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat.” The film highlights diverse stories of rural volunteer firefighters from across the country and paints a portrait of these brave individuals who serve their communities. The film will soon be released nationally, and producers hope those who watch it will be inspired to sign up to be volunteer firefighters through the NVFC’s “Make Me a Firefighter” campaign.
    • Several cotton farmers and their families gathered in Lubbock, Texas, last month to celebrate high-yield achievements as part of BASF’s FiberMax® One Ton Club™, a long-standing tradition now in its 18th year. The club recognizes cotton farmers who produce FiberMax yields of one ton or more. In total, 104 members representing 51 farms made this year’s club following the 2022 growing season. Walker and Erica McAnear of Mustard Seed Farms in Clarendon, Texas, achieved the highest yield with 2,670 pounds of cotton per acre.
    • Combine harvester sales in the U.S. and Canada continue to grow while tractor unit sales stay close to their 5-year average according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). U.S. self-propelled combine sales, grew 45 percent for the month, leading to the year-to-date gain to stay above 100 percent. Total farm tractor sales in the U.S. for the month fell 12.1 percent versus March 2022 and are down 15.1 percent year-to-date, a slight improvement from the previous month.
    • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is launching its fourth Consider Corn Challenge inviting participants to submit proposals for new uses of field corn as a primary feedstock for producing novel sustainable chemicals and products with quantifiable market demand. One to six winners will be selected for the Consider Corn Challenge IV, with a total prize pool of U.S. $250,000, split equally between winners. The submission deadline is June 30, 2023
    • The non-profit Soil Health Academy has published detailed case studies examining the operational, production and profitability details of five regenerative farming and ranching operations across the country. The project is funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation and is designed to provide strategic and tactical insights to help guide farming and ranching enterprises as they transition from high-input, chemically dependent conventional agriculture to lower-input, more profitable regenerative operations.
    • The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, is seeking entrepreneurs to apply online for the 2024 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. Now in its 10th year, this national business competition showcases U.S. startup companies developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by America’s farmers, ranchers and rural communities. Farm Bureau is offering $165,000 in startup funds throughout the course of the competition, which will culminate in the top 10 semi-finalists competing in a live pitch competition in front of Farm Bureau members, investors and industry representatives at the AFBF Convention in January 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
    AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture